Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview [Hardcover]

J. P. Moreland (Author), William Lane Craig (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 2003

Winner of a 2004 ECPA Gold Medallion Award! Winner of an Award of Excellence in the 2003 Chicago Book Clinic!

• What is real?
• What is truth?
• What can we know?
• What should we believe?
• What should we do and why?
• Is there a God?
• Can we know him?
• Do Christian doctrines make sense?
• Can we believe in God in the face of evil?

These are fundamental questions that any thinking person wants answers to. These are questions that philosophy addresses. And the answers we give to these kinds of questions serve as the the foundation stones for consrtucting any kind of worldview. In Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig offer a comprehensive introduction to philosophy from a Christian perspective. In their broad sweep they seek to introduce readers to the principal subdisciplines of philosophy, including epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science, ethics and philosophy of religion. They do so with characteristic clarity and incisiveness. Arguments are clearly outlined, and rival theories are presented with fairness and accuracy. Philosophy, they contend, aids Christians in the tasks of apologetics, polemics and systematic theology. It reflects our having been made in the image of God, helps us to extend biblical teaching into areas not expressly addressed in Scripture, facilitates the spiritual discipline of study, enhances the boldness and self-image of the Christian community, and is requisite to the essential task of integrating faith and learning. Here is a lively and thorough introduction to philosophy for all who want to know reality.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

IVP: At well over six hundred pages, this is a monumental book. What led you to take on such a task?

J. P. Moreland: There are two reasons. First, the ascendancy of Christian philosophy in the last fifteen years is nothing short of miraculous. As Mark Noll notes, Christians in other academic disciplines would do well to note how philosophers have made strides to recapture their field for Christ. Bill and I wanted to make the fruits of this resurgence available to others. Second, philosophy is so crucial to developing and defending a Christian worldview that we believed it was essential to make available to the evangelical community solid Christian philosophy in a wide variety of philosophical disciplines. IVP: What do you see as the role of philosophy in shaping a Christian worldview?

Moreland: Combined with biblical exegesis and biblical theology, philosophy is the most important field--historically and conceptually--for developing a Christian worldview. As we make clear in the text, systematic theology itself, as well as attempts to integrate one's field with biblical teaching, essentially depends on philosophy being done with excellence. Our book seeks to remain faithful to central figures in the history of philosophy, especially those consistent with the faith, while at the same time drawing insights from the explosion of Christian philosophy in the last fifteen years to make a genuine synthesis available to a broad readership.

About the Author

J. P. Moreland (Ph.D., University of Southern California; Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary) is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, in La Mirada, California. He also serves as director of Eidos Christian Center. He has written, edited or contributed to twenty books with publishers ranging from Oxford University Press, Routledge, Wadsworth and Prometheus to Zondervan and InterVarsity Press. Among his books are Christianity and the Nature of Science, Does God Exist? (with Kai Nielsen) and Philosophical Naturalism: A Critical Analysis. He has also published more than fifty articles in journals such as Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, American Philosophical Quarterly, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, MetaPhilosophy, Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, Southern Journal of Philosophy, Religious Studies and Faith and Philosophy. He is a fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture.

Craig (Ph.D., philosophy, University of Birmingham; D.Theol., systematic theology, University of Munich) is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, in La Mirada, California. He is also president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He has published articles in philosophical and theological journals such as The Journal of Philosophy, American Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophical Studies, Philosophy, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Modern Theology and Religious Studies. He has written or cowritten more than twenty books, including The Kalam Cosmological Argument; Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom; Theism, Atheism and Big Bang Cosmology and God, Time and Eternity.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 672 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (March 31, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830826947
• ISBN-13: 978-0830826940
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)